Can pets reduce loneliness and social isolation?
A government-funded entity in Australia will investigate whether bonding with animals can help people in risk groups.
The National Centre for Healthy Ageing (NCHA), a partnership between Monash University and Peninsula Health, will study how animals can reduce loneliness and social isolation in at-risk groups.
Researcher Dr. Em Bould has been building evidence regarding the impact of human-animal interactions for six years. They intend to expand the investigation to older people and those from migrant and refugee backgrounds.
“The ultimate aim of the program is to use pets to support social connection and healthy aging, and we are looking forward to seeing the results from this important research,” they said.
Enrolling volunteers
Volunteers will enroll in the Pets and People (PaPs) Program from May 2023. It is a low-cost animal-assisted activity group intervention proposed for aged care settings. The program will also ensure the inclusion of migrant and refugee communities.
So far, 4 partnered aged care facilities across Melbourne and Queensland will host a PaPs group with about 36 participants.
This program is one of 13 collaborative projects funded by the NCHA with more than $4 million through its Living Labs research program.